Notices to polluting units
‘Install devices or face penal action’Ludhiana, August 24Fed up with sending reminders to over 300 industries causing pollution in the city for the last two years, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has decided to act tough now. It has given notices to these industries to install a newly designed air pollution controlling device by August 31 or face penal action.

Murder most foulAhmedgarh, August 24The Murder of the youngest son of a middle-class family of Dhaul Majra, village at Bahrain has left the family members repenting on their decision to send him abroad in order to elevate the economic standard of the family. Had Air India not brought the body free of cost as a part of its ‘courtesy’ scheme, the family could have run into further debt to clear the transportation bills.

Baba with ‘magic powers’ arrestedLudhiana, August 24The Focal Point police today arrested a self-styled baba from his large dera in Dhandari Kalan today afternoon after receiving innumerable complaints that the alleged impostor had duped hundreds of city residents during the last several months by claiming magical cures of some diseases and victims of black magic.

Life term for killing roommateLudhiana, August 24Mr S.M.S. Mahal, Additional Sessions Judge, Ludhiana, has sentenced Rama Kant (25) of Gobindgarh Colony, Focal Point, Ludhiana, to life imprisonment on the charge of killing his roommate, Vimlesh Kumar, on December 23,1998. A fine of Rs 5,000 has also been imposed upon him.

Anti-Repression Action Committee flays govtLudhiana, August 24Members of the Anti-Repression Action Committee have condemned the “callous attitude” of the state government in resolving the two-month long crises at the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).

Bains’
suspension: settling of political score?Ludhiana, August 24The suspension of a media advisor to former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has taken the teaching community at Punjab Agricultural University by surprise since the action is being viewed as “settling of political scores at personal level ”. But those in the know-how of the episode proclaim that “ the writing was on the wall ”.

Stir if free power is withdrawn: BKU Ludhiana, August 24Reacting strongly to indications that the state government intended to withdraw the free power-supply facility from the farming community, the BKU made it clear today that farmers would not take the decision lying down and would oppose it with all their might.

Tohra flays Centre for opposing ECAmloh, August 24“The Centre has acted like a pro-capitalist by waiving Rs 57,000 crore of loans to traders on the ground that businesses have collapsed, but failed to save drought-hit farmers and labourers, who are, now, in Rs 47,000 crore of debt,” said Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, MP and president of the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD), at a function in Bahbalpur village near here late yesterday.

CITY SCANLudhiana-Lyallpur emotional linksThe links are historical as well as emotional. The ties are rooted in memories despite distance of time and space. Bonds were economic and academic, commercial and agricultural. The strongest link is charged with intense emotion Ludhiana is the birth place of Sukhdev Thapar, Lyallpur that of Bhagat Singh.

Create jobs to end petty crimesLudhiana, August 24Growing unemployment, drug addiction among the youth and several other such factors are responsible for the increase in incidents of snatching here. Hundreds of factories in the city, hit by recession, have been reducing their manpower instead of generating more job opportunities. Several retrenched persons take to petty crimes like hold-ups.

Onam
celebrated with fervourLudhiana, August 24Onam, national festival of Kerala , which is held to
invite the King of Mahabali, was celebrated with fervour at CMC Hospital
here yesterday.The function started with the lighting of a lamp by Dr
Kamal Masih after which a prayer was jointly held by the administrative
staff and students of the medical institute.

Boy
held for killing friendKhanna, August 24The police has arrested Rajiv Kumar(18) on the charge of
allegedly killing his friend Rajdeep Singh (15) by pushing him in
Bakhara Canal at Sirhind on July 21.The accused was produced before the court of Senior
Sub-Judge G.S. Dhillon, today. The court remanded him till August 26.

Paper-reading contest in GPSLudhiana, August 24An inter-school paper-reading contest on “How and why to save Energy” was organised by Gobindgarh Public School (GPS) in collaboration with Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) on Friday.

Ludhiana, August 24Parents and students applauded the five swimmers who dived in the water with their instructor on the inauguration of a swimming pool complex at GRD Academy, here today. With this three-pool complex, the academy has taken a lead in the sport among the city schools.

Students of Guru Ram Dass Academy, Ludhiana, present a cultural programme at the inauguration of a swimming pool on the academy
campus in Ludhiana on Saturday. — A Tribune photograph

SSF wants apology from Ashutosh MaharajLudhiana, August 23The Sikh Students Federation (SSF) has demanded that Ashutosh Maharaj of the Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan, Noormehal, should appear before Akal Takht and tender an unconditional apology for denigrating Sikh Gurus and Sikhism.

Annu no longer a copycatLudhiana, August 24Music director Annu Malik, who was here today, told reporters at a press conference that allegation of plagiarism against him were a thing of the past. He said the success of his music in films like ‘Aks’, ‘Border’, ‘Fiza’ and ‘Refugee’ had removed all doubts regarding his ability and silenced his critics.

Second win for Guru Harikrishan SchoolLudhiana, August 24Guru Harikrishan Public School beat SAN Model High School by 18 runs to register their second win in a row in the Ist Surinder Saini Memorial Inter-School Cricket Tournament (boys u-19) being organised by the Sunflower Professionals Academy at the Ballonkey Road, Haibowal Kalan, here today.

MC prepares integrated development programmeLudhiana, August 24The municipal corporation has prepared an ‘integrated development programme’ for development of the city and to ensure qualitative improvement in the civic amenities and infrastructural facilities in the city localities.